Five-year Bible reading plan for 15 October 2026

King James Version (en)

King James Version (en)

Mark, Chapter 13, verses 28-37

²⁴ and the manner of his coming to judgement, ³² the hour whereof being known to none, every man is to watch and pray, that we be not found unprovided, when he cometh to each one particularly by death

²⁸Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

²⁹So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

³⁰Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

³¹Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

³²But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

³³Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

³⁴For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

³⁵Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

³⁶Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

³⁷And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Read more:Mark, Chapter 14

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13

13:28 Mat 24:32; Luk 21:28.

13:29 He is nigh - The Son of man.

13:30 All these things - Relating to the temple and the city.

13:32 Of that day - The day of judgment is often in the Scriptures emphatically called that day. Neither the Son - Not as man: as man he was no more omniscient than omnipresent. But as God he knows all the circumstances of it.

13:33 Mat 24:42; Luk 21:34.

13:34 The Son of man is as a man taking a far journey - Being about to leave this world and go to the Father, he appoints the services that are to be performed by all his servants, in their several stations. This seems chiefly to respect ministers at the day of judgment: but it may be applied to all men, and to the time of death. Mat 25:14; Luk 19:12.

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NOTES

As He concludes His account of the end of time, Jesus calls His disciples to 'keep watch.' Not to fall asleep, spiritually or inwardly. To be ready for Him to return on any day. This is understandable: the day of His return is not fixed and cannot be fixed precisely, but...

As He concludes His account of the end of time, Jesus calls His disciples to 'keep watch.' Not to fall asleep, spiritually or inwardly. To be ready for Him to return on any day. This is understandable: the day of His return is not fixed and cannot be fixed precisely, but everything that must happen before the end of time will take place during the lifetime of the apostles, or at least of their generation. Thus the apostolic generation itself will already stand at the threshold that separates history from metahistory, the fallen world from the Kingdom entering it.

That entry, however, may take not just more than a day, but quite possibly more than a century. Christians living through those centuries exist on that very boundary separating the Kingdom from the fallen world. This situation at the boundary leaves no room for spiritual complacency and sleep, provided, of course, that a person is aware of it. Without such awareness, falling spiritually asleep is very easy: all it takes is to lose sight of the Kingdom and its King, which is not difficult if one turns one's gaze toward the fallen world and stares at it without looking away. A person then easily becomes immersed in this world, which eventually becomes the only reality for that person, while words about Christ and the Kingdom become mere words. In that state, the day of the Savior's return will come as a complete surprise. It will be different for those who have not become spiritually complacent: for them, too, it will of course be a surprise, but an expected surprise.

It is impossible to calculate that day: the Father determines when it will come, and He does so in accordance with the course of the process. That is why no one but the Father knows when it will come. Even the Messiah cannot deprive a person of freedom, and the timing here depends to a very great extent on people's choices—people who differ in every possible way. Every 'yes' or 'no' to God alters that timing. That is why nothing here can be calculated in advance, if, of course, the goal is to save everyone who can be saved. This is precisely the goal the Savior sets Himself as He fulfills His Father's will.

Today we read a passage in which Jesus speaks to the disciples about what is coming, about what awaits them and their descendants. This speech...

Today we read a passage in which Jesus speaks to the disciples about what is coming, about what awaits them and their descendants. This speech of Jesus is the longest one in Mark. Let us listen to it more attentively: what prompted the conversation? what can be said about the disciples' attitude toward Jerusalem and its temple?

Jesus' own words can be divided into three parts: about the destruction of Jerusalem, about His return and the end of this world, and two parables. The intersection of these themes can seem unexpected, but prophecy is not a chronological account of the future. It is, rather, various images of it, so that in the destruction of Jerusalem one can also see the end of this world.

It is interesting to trace whether the disciples' initial curiosity receives an answer. It appears that a direct answer sounds only at the very end of the chapter: in the parable of the fig tree He speaks about signs. But about the exact time it is said that it is hidden from everyone except the Father. And if He himself is what matters to us, then we must keep watch, like the doorkeeper in the second parable. This final summons will help us hear all the other words of Jesus as well, which seem to stand apart from the disciples' question: He is addressing each of us personally.

If Jesus does not answer the disciples' question before verse 28, then what is He speaking about in verses 5-27? What stands out is how often Jesus addresses them directly. Jesus is concerned not so much with the future itself as with people, His disciples, in that future. Jesus makes them understand that what they need most in this life is God and His guidance, something that is especially visible "against the background" of the end.

When reading this chapter, a natural feeling often arises: although one would very much not want to take part in the events described, there is one thing to be glad about. If all this does happen, then (vv. 19-20 and vv. 24-27) Jesus will return and save His chosen ones. He is God and Savior.

It is said clearly enough that no one can know either the day or the hour, yet advice is given to watch for signs that speak of coming events. But how can we avoid confusing true symptoms with apparent ones...

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